Detestable as it may seem to an enlightened mind, our planet’s primary export are slave mukhadish and human slaves as unskilled labor.
How would you go if a player (GM included) wants to acquire a slave? In a way, it feels just like a regular Resources test (circling a slave-trader before and all); but you’d be getting a whole lot more from it, in fact, what amounts to a complete relationship for it (although not exactly friendly to you…). How would you run it?
I would say either resources only (if the slave is going to be primarily off stage and is more important as a prop than a person) or both (if the slave is to be a full NPC.)
So, if the PC is hiring a crew of slave warriors for his compound Resources. If the PC is hiring a fanatically loyal slave bodyguard both.
it depends on what the slaves are going to be used for. if the slave/slaves are there for information, a skill, knowledge, etc. or if they are purely there for color… to carry stuff, or to show that the character is powerful, etc.
also, remember, you can’t circles characters outside the scope of your lifepaths, so unless the character is former slave, has a die trait allowing them to circle slaves, etc. they will just be purchased goods, unwilling or unable to provide information or assistance outside of normal unskilled labor = just color/tech
Well; mostly I was thinking of my vaylen-human FoN relationship. He’s the Forged Lord of the slavist planet, he’s sterile so he’s concerned about his legacy; she’s a vaylen scientist bringing in the promise of a clone-child as succesor in private and a general improvement of the livestock in public (and of course, the secret agenda of planetary conquest, as vaylen).
I was planning a building scene in which she could convince the FoN to provide some slaves for general labour, so secretly she would get a mukhadish body to jump into in case of need.
Of course, this is not trying to weasel in a new body: there’s a lot here that could go wrong (mostly convincing the guy and subduing the slave). The resource roll could be bypassed by using the perks GM FoNs get, but then it struck me that it wouldn’t exactly be the same as your standard purchase (in fact, I have no idea how to pay for it if using that rule…) Hence, the question.
But also because my players will, sooner or later, think about buying some grunt bull to do the dirty work for themselves…
Right now, besides Resources roll, I’m thinking I should stick together the circling of the salesman with the kind of slave they get. So maybe if it’s a failure, it’s not the salesman who’s against you: it’s the slave you bought that’s gonna plot to kill you and join the underground slave liberation network… or be a completely useless mukhadish. And if my FoNs buy it paying straight points, I’d charge it as circles point cost: 1 for a wild, unpredictable Mukhadish, 2 for a friendly, tamed one.
What do you think? Am I breaking Burning Empires? 
completely legit, but it might be easier/more fun to just use the genetics skill to build your own bodies.
the resource roll is completely fine, but be aware that you will be limited to a skill-less slave.
no, these sound like legitimate consequences. remember, even if they succeed in acquiring slaves, you still have to overbear one and hull them. plenty still to go wrong. i’m just not sure that this is in the realm of what this scientist vaylen would do. seems like he’s trying to do things the hard way.
I’m not sure I understand your second answer; why a resource roll would it imply a skill-less slave? In the fiction, they’re buying a slave (one bred and raised and probably trained), not a body fresh from the vat…
About the third one, I was talking about how would I rule my players, or other NPCs of mine, buying a slave; not necessarily the vaylen scientist. About him, I haven’t built him capable of doing eugenics yet; he’s coming into the planet so he hasn’t stablished a lab, or resources planet-side. That’s why he needs the Lord…
You have a point in that, by joining what’s normally two different rolls, I’m making it easier for everyone. But then again, the danger is bigger when buying a possibly violent sentient being than with any other item…